Lieutenant Colonel Pita Driti is a former

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

an soldier who played a prominent role in the

2006 Fijian coup d'état The Fijian coup d'état of December 2006 was a coup d'état carried out by Commodore Frank Bainimarama, Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, against the government of President Josefa Iloilo. Iloilo was removed as president, but ...

. He served as the Land Force Commander of the

Republic of Fiji Military Forces The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF, formerly the Royal Fiji Military Forces) is the military force of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of about 4,000 active soldiers and approximately 6,000 reservists, it is one ...

, the third most senior position in the Military. Driti was educated at

Suva Grammar School Suva Grammar School (or SGS) is a secondary school in Suva, Fiji. The school caters 6 streams for Forms 3 to 6 and 4 streams for Form 7. Suva Grammar has a school population of approximately 1300 students. The school is in a location near the hea ...

. In the leadup to the coup, Driti accused the Australian government of infiltrating mercenaries into Fiji. He also demanded that Prime Minister

Laisenia Qarase Laisenia Qarase (pronounced ; 4 February 1941 – 21 April 2020) was a Fijian politician. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase ...

be investigated for attempting to remove RFMF commander

Frank Bainimarama Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama (Fijian: ʃoˈsɛia βoˈreŋɡe mbɛiniˈmarama born 27 April 1954) is a Fijian politician and former naval officer who served as the prime minister of Fiji from 2007 until 2022. A member of the FijiFirst ...

. In the aftermath of the coup he instigated a witch-hunt for critics of the military regime, who were rounded up and taken to the RFMF barracks in Suva, beaten and intimidated. In June 2007 Driti was proposed for the position of High Commissioner to Malaysia. His appointment was repeatedly delayed after Malaysia refused to accept him. In September 2008 Suliasi Lutubula was appointed to the position. In April 2009 he was made an Officer of the

Order of Fiji The Order of Fiji is the highest Order (honour), honour of the Fijian honours system. Established 1 March 1995, the order is presented for achievement and merit to Fiji and mankind as a whole. The order is divided into a general division and mili ...

. In October 2009 Driti was proposed to lead a contingent of soldiers for the

United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) was formed on 14 August 2003 by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1500 at the request of the Iraqi government to support national development efforts. UNAMI's mandate includes ...

. In February 2010 the United Nations rejected the proposal on the basis that Driti was the subject of credible allegations of human rights abuse. In October 2010 Driti and

Tevita Mara Ratu Tevita Kapaiwai Lutunauga Uluilakeba Mara is a Fijian career soldier who held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as of early 2006. On 3 February, he was named Army Chief of Staff, succeeding Colonel Meli Saubulinayau, who was a close relative of ...

were unexpectedly placed on extended leave and replaced as Land Force Commander and 3rd Fiji Infantry Regiment commander respectively. In May 2011 both were charged with sedition, and Driti was also charged with inciting mutiny. Mara subsequently fled to

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

, causing a diplomatic incident. Driti was tried in November 2013, with the military regime alleging that he and Mara had plotted to remove Bainimarama from power. Despite being found not guilty by a panel of assessors, he was convicted of inciting mutiny. On 13 December 2013 he was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with a minimum non-

parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...

period of four years by judge Paul Madigan. He was granted weekend release from prison in December 2017. Following his release in February 2018 Driti made a traditional apology to Bainimarama and senior RFMF officers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Driti, Pita Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People educated at Suva Grammar School Fijian soldiers Fijian prisoners and detainees I-Taukei Fijian people Officers of the Order of Fiji